Today In History- June 2

Indian Citizenship Act Major Deal for Native American Rights.

2 Jun 1924

Washington D.C., USA

In a decisive move towards Native American reconciliation, on June 2, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, stipulating the guarantee of U.S. citizenship for Indians. The Fourteenth Amendment had previously granted this privilege, though only to certain individuals, with certain indigenous Native American tribes being excluded. The idea of naturalization was a key issue in this debate, and only those "indians" who had married naturalized citizens could be declared citizens under law.